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Committee to choose finalists for Walton County TDC director

By TOM McLAUGHLIN / Daily News

Published: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 07:52 PM.

SANTA ROSA BEACH — A five-member committee will meet Monday to begin narrowing a field of 45 applicants to succeed Dawn Moliterno as executive director of the Walton County Tourist Development Council.

Candidates from all over the country, as well as one from Bolivia and another from Australia have applied for the position. The list will be pared to 10 finalists at the 9 a.m. meeting at the South Walton Annex at 31 Coastal Centre Blvd. in Santa Rosa Beach.

“I’ve looked through and there are some very qualified candidates,” County Commissioner Cindy Meadows said. “I’m looking forward to seeing who the committee picks as their top 10 and beginning interviewing people.”

Moliterno was working as the CEO and executive director of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce in 2010 when the County Commission named her to replace a retiring Sonny Mares at a salary of $125,000.

She turned in her resignation in January, providing a 90-day notice to give the county time to find a replacement. Her last day will be April 9.

Moliterno’s term began soon after an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig off Louisiana began dumping millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. She oversaw spending to advertise South Walton beaches that were perceived nationally as stained by oil, and worked to help the county weather the economic crunch the spill caused the tourism industry.

Moliterno, who could not be reached late Friday, said after she announced her resignation that she believed she had met and exceeded all the goals put before her and was ready to move on to a new challenge.

She also was critical of those who had questioned the openness of the TDC to the public under her watch. Meadows, who took office in November, was Moliterno’s strongest critic.

Meadows said she believes Moliterno’s decision to step down was “the best thing for the TDC and the county at this time.”

“Looking at the TDC and looking into it, I discovered things that were not in the best interest of the county,” she said. “I thought Walton County could do better. I saw things that were not real positive and needed correcting.”

Each county commissioner selected one person to sit on the committee that will select the 10 TDC director finalists.

SANTA ROSA BEACH — A five-member committee will meet Monday to begin narrowing a field of 45 applicants to succeed Dawn Moliterno as executive director of the Walton County Tourist Development Council.

Candidates from all over the country, as well as one from Bolivia and another from Australia have applied for the position. The list will be pared to 10 finalists at the 9 a.m. meeting at the South Walton Annex at 31 Coastal Centre Blvd. in Santa Rosa Beach.

“I’ve looked through and there are some very qualified candidates,” County Commissioner Cindy Meadows said. “I’m looking forward to seeing who the committee picks as their top 10 and beginning interviewing people.”

Moliterno was working as the CEO and executive director of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce in 2010 when the County Commission named her to replace a retiring Sonny Mares at a salary of $125,000.

She turned in her resignation in January, providing a 90-day notice to give the county time to find a replacement. Her last day will be April 9.

Moliterno’s term began soon after an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig off Louisiana began dumping millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. She oversaw spending to advertise South Walton beaches that were perceived nationally as stained by oil, and worked to help the county weather the economic crunch the spill caused the tourism industry.

Moliterno, who could not be reached late Friday, said after she announced her resignation that she believed she had met and exceeded all the goals put before her and was ready to move on to a new challenge.

She also was critical of those who had questioned the openness of the TDC to the public under her watch. Meadows, who took office in November, was Moliterno’s strongest critic.

Meadows said she believes Moliterno’s decision to step down was “the best thing for the TDC and the county at this time.”

“Looking at the TDC and looking into it, I discovered things that were not in the best interest of the county,” she said. “I thought Walton County could do better. I saw things that were not real positive and needed correcting.”

Each county commissioner selected one person to sit on the committee that will select the 10 TDC director finalists.